There are a variety of counter mounted fluid dispensers known in the prior art. Unfortunately, such mounted dispensers of liquid soap and other similar liquid products are often inconvenient to use and/or refill.
Counter-mounted dispensers have typically included a dispenser fixture located above the counter and a refillable soap reservoir located under the cabinet into which dip tubes are inserted. The dip tubes have typically included one or two check valves and a piston type pump. The fixture includes an actuation button that is depressed by the user when a quantity of soap is desired. When the actuation button is depressed, the pump is operated and soap is drawn from the reservoir, pushed through the delivery spout and into the user's hand.
Because of the location of the reservoir such as behind the sink these dispensers are very difficult to refill. The user is typically required to climb under the counter to remove the reservoir from the pump mechanisms that generally remain attached to the counter. The filled reservoir must then be returned to its position under the cabinet without spilling the liquid soap or causing it to overflow by reinserting the mechanism into an overfilled pump reservoir. These pump and valve arrangements are typically permanent installations and over a period of time the valves and/or pumps often fail or become clogged such that no soap can be dispensed. The owner is left with an unusable device and/or a hole in the counter-top that requires covering.
Wall-mounted liquid soap dispensers require double sided adhesive sheets to be applied to a wall surface. One side of the adhesive sheet is applied to the wall and the soap dispenser is adhered to the second side. Once a wall mounted dispenser is emptied it must be removed from the wall before it can be refilled or replaced. Often adhesive is left on the surface or the paint is removed with the adhesive sheet leaving the owner with a scarred or unsightly wall surface.
Counter-top liquid soap dispensers often have a problem with placement. The liquid soap dispenser must be placed on an already crowded counter adjacent the sink. In the past, these dispensers had no anchoring and were often tipped over or knocked into the sink. Counter-top dispensers are especially likely to be tipped over when they are low on liquid and are top heavy.
Accordingly, what is lacking in the art is a soap dispenser having a counter-top mounting system that makes it possible to securely anchor the liquid dispensing device to the counter-top and still allow portability, so the dispenser can be transported and used in other areas. The design should also allow the reservoir to be easily refilled and utilize readily available pump components.